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• I moved from Manhattan to FH in 1997, and could not have made a better decision in my lifetime. I traded crowded, dirty, noisy and expensive for safe, clean, unbelievable public transportation choices, and everything I could ever want within walking distance. Of course now it’s not as affordable as it was then… which is why I had to make the unfortunate choice to leave FH for the Rego Park/Elmhurst part of Middle Village last year. But lemme tell ya, if I should win the Lotto, you can keep your Manhattan penthouse AND your dilapidated walkups in dirty, deserted, inaccessible areas of Queens and Brooklyn (yeah, I also thought all that crap was “cool” when I was younger…). I’m buyin’ me a house in Forest Hills. And I too celebrate the glorious diversity of Queens… I’m a Queens gal for life. This borough rocks.

  Posted by Laurie
  on May 11th, 2007 at 11:59 am

• I wouldn’t characterize Forest Hills as “clean”. It might be less dirty that some areas of Manhattan and other parts of Queens, but I still see loads of trash strewn across Continental and Austin every single day.

  Posted by David
  on May 11th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

• Hey, come on now - judging me by my work as a harpsichordist isn’t really fair. I didn’t touch your occupation in my blog post. And, being in my late 30s, I think I’m too old to be a hipster (I also prefer to wear pretty colored clothing).

  I maintain that the parts of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens that I’ve seen - to me, having lived on LI on Suffolk County’s north shore (for school) and having lived in Southern California suburbs, and having lived in Berkeley, CA and now Astoria - seem suburban to me. Or at least partly. When I’m there, it seems like a combination of both city and suburb. For me, it’s a feel of the neighborhood, too. Now granted, I haven’t seen all of Forest Hills/Kew Gardens, but the parts I did see, felt more suburban than Astoria. This is my impression (hence the “Opinion/Editorial” category of my post). Is there anything in between city and suburb? I do appreciate how things do move a little slower there. I like all the trees and green in the summer, too. I bet your air is better quality out there, too!

  And, according to locals who’ve been here for years, it’s taken LIC about 20 years to get where it is now. It might take Forest Hills a while to get the bistro, but it will (by that time, Astoria/LIC might be under water, who knows!). Trying to think of the bistros in Astoria…do you mean like Brick Cafe?

  Oh, and I want to make sure you understand that I don’t see Forest Hills/Kew Gardens as “suburbia”, which is a whole other kinda thing.

  Thanks for clarifying your take on the term “grungy”. To me, it’s always meant more like “dirty and gritty and gross” rather than “ramshackle”.

  And Steve, thanks for reading and responding. The exchange of ideas is good. Keep up the good work at Queens Central.

  Posted by megc
  on May 11th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

• I meant no offense by calling out your harpsichord playing! It was supposed to be a compliment, actually — being a professional harpsichord player is pretty cool, you have to admit. My occupation is too boring to mention in a blog post. Late 30s was too old to qualify as a hipster 20 years ago, but in today’s arrested-development society, I think it’s right in there. However, I do agree that the clothing probably disqualifies you. I hope you at least have the decency to have a couple of tattoos.

  I see what you mean about the city/suburb combo, and it’s not entirely off base. But still, I associate certain things with suburbs: You have to drive everywhere. You generally have a yard. More people live in houses than apartments, and in fact, apartments are pretty rare to begin with. Strip malls, strip malls, strip malls. I don’t see those things in Forest Hills. Forest Hills is nothing like “the city” by New York standards, but it’s very urban when compared to most cities in the U.S. But you ain’t kidding about the air quality! I live on tree-deprived, traffic-clogged Queens Boulevard, yet when I walked out my front door this past weekend, I still smelled this grassy aroma I associate with my grandmother’s summer bungalow up in the Catskills.

  You know what else I appreciate? How easy it is to cross the street, as long as that street isn’t Queens Boulevard. I can traverse five blocks in the Hills way faster than I can in Manhattan.

  I’m not familiar with Brick Cafe, but the last time I was in Astoria, I passed a place simply called 718. That seemed about right.

  And no problem on the reading and responding! I check OuterB pretty much every day — you and John do a great job over there.

  Posted by Steve
  on May 11th, 2007 at 3:32 pm

• Hey Steve - ok, my bad about intepreting your “harpsichordist” comment - sorry for reacting the way I did. It’s great and I love it, but it does make for a pauper’s existence - I can’t afford any of those fancy bistros, ironically! Ha ha! I hope things will change, though.

  No tattoos, but I have a few piercings…but they are just in my earlobes.

  Looks like I need to make a trip out to Forest Hills/Kew Gardens again to check things out, re-educate myself, and look for those more “city” elements. Awesome that it’s got both subway and LIRR, I will say (the more public transportation options the better, I say). I miss that grassy, sweet air living so near the power plants out here in Astoria. My friend also swears by a pizza joint out there, Nick’s I think it’s called?

  718 I think is more French and Spanish. Brick seems more American to me, and more affordable for its genre.

  I love Queens! So glad I live in this borough.

  Posted by megc
  on May 11th, 2007 at 3:51 pm

• No prob! The written word is imperfect and good-natured snark sometimes comes across as obnoxious, I have learned. Yeah, everybody loves Nick’s, though, as I hate to have to keep admitting, I don’t eat pizza for reasons too embarrassing to reveal. But yes, judging by unanimous opinion, if you make the trek — just an N train and a 7 train and an E or F train away! — you should definitely check it out.

  You know, after I posted that last comment, I went and checked out the menus for 718 and Brick online, and you’re right, Brick is pretty much exactly what I was talking about. 718 looks interesting, though.

  And Queens, of course, does rule. I wish more people realized it is so cool to live here.

  Posted by Steve
  on May 11th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

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